Erectile dysfunction, commonly referred to as impotence, is a condition that effects men of all ages. Erectile dysfunction increases with age. It can hinder a man's sexual activities, diminish self-esteem, and disrupt personal relationships.
Over the years, numerous devices have been developed in an attempt to help men with erectile dysfunction. Examples of some of these devices can be found in: U.S. Pat. No. 3,845,760 granted to Birman, U.S. Pat. No. 1,608,806 granted to Nelson, U.S. Pat. No. 3,926,184 granted to Gehl, U.S. Pat. No. 3,705,580 granted to Gauthier, U.S. Pat. No. 5,221,251 granted to Administer, U.S. Pat. No. 5,338,288 granted to Finkle, U.S. Pat. No. 5,085,209 granted to Gottschalk, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,961,419 granted to Tribble et al.
The known devices have numerous drawbacks such as requiring a cumbersome vacuum pump and/or rubber rings which painfully seize themselves around the penis after engorgement. Rubber rings also may entangle in and pull on pubic hair and often pinch tender skin. Additionally, many of the known devices are quite painful to remove.
According to a recent article in the Journal of the American Medical Association dated Jan. 1, 1997 --volume 277 no. 1, The American Urological Association has released new guidelines for the treatment of what they describe as an "organic erectile dysfunction". The New England Journal of Medicine on Jan. 2, 1997, published an article entitled "Treatment Of Men With Erectile Dysfunction With Transurethral Alprostadil". These two articles mention the current treatments for erectile dysfunction as being of many varieties including oral medications, vacuum pumps, vascular surgery, penile prostheses, and intracavernosal injections. Both articles suggest that there is clearly a need for additional improvement in the methods employed to cause and maintain an erection since none of the current methods or devices resolve the problem adequately.
Accordingly, there is a need for a device for and method of creating and maintaining a rigid erection that overcomes the drawbacks of the known devices and methods.